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A Proton rocket blasted off from a snow-covered launch pad early Wednesday and successfully put a pair of Russian civil communications satellites 22,300 miles above Earth.

Credit: Khrunichev

The Proton booster ignited its six first stage engines and roared skyward
at 0003 GMT from Complex 200 at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.
Liftoff occurred in the predawn hours at the launch site.

The rocket's three core stages powered the launcher into space within the
first 10 minutes of the mission, leaving the Breeze M upper stage to
complete a series of burns to place the Express AM44 and Express MD1
satellites into the targeted orbit.

The Breeze M upper stage released Express AM44 on schedule at about 0915
GMT. Deployment of Express MD1 was confirmed about 15 minutes later,
according to the Russian space agency.

Both satellites, weighing a combined 8,100 pounds, were injected directly
into a 22,300-mile-high geostationary orbit, according to Khrunichev, the
Russian builder of Proton rockets.

The launch used an enhanced version of the storied booster that was first
tested during a commercial flight in July 2007.

The upgraded configuration includes lighter graphite epoxy material
connecting the rocket's stages, instead of heavier metal adapters.
Designers also revamped the Breeze M stage's reaction control system and
reduced the number of fuel tanks from six to two, according to
International Launch Services, the U.S.-based firm that sells Proton
rockets on the commercial market.

Officials ordered the improvements to increase the rocket's performance,
particularly on marathon missions to geostationary orbit.

Express AM44 was built by Reshetnev Co., a Russian aerospace company
formerly known as NPO PM.

Khrunichev manufactured Express MD1, but the company gave no report on the
status of that satellite.

Thales Alenia Space provided the communications payloads for both
satellites, which will be operated by the Russian Satellite Communications
Co. for government and commercial users.

Express AM44, weighing 5,582 pounds at launch, will use its own propulsion
system to park itself at its permanent home in geostationary orbit at 11
degrees west longitude.

The craft will eventually replace the aging Express A3 satellite at that
orbital location, which serves customers across Russia, former Soviet
states, Europe, Asia and Africa.

The satellite carries a communications payload of 16 Ku-band, 10 C-band
and a single L-band transponder. The gear is designed to provide digital
television and radio broadcasting, data networking, videoconferencing and
Internet services for at least 12 years.

Express MD1 is the first member of a new series of smaller communications
satellites to be launched for RSCC. The 2,513-pound satellite will be
positioned in geostationary orbit at 80 degrees east longitude to increase
communications capacity at that location, according to Khrunichev.

The satellite's eight C-band and one L-band transponder will provide
secure communications for senior government leaders, digital broadcasting
services and Internet access for other customers.

RSCC also plans to launch the identical Express MD2 satellite, but the
company has not released a launch date for that mission.

The company is also developing Express AM4, a massive high-powered
satellite built by EADS Astrium. That launch is scheduled for late 2010.

The next Proton mission could occur later this month with a Russian
military communications satellite.

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